Indiana Football Report Card After Ohio State Loss: What Did The Hoosiers Get Wrong?

Well, it may only be mid-October, but report cards are already rolling in. Indiana (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) had its biggest test of the year on Saturday against Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten), and it didn’t exactly fail, but the Hoosiers surely aren’t happy with the results. 

The Buckeyes waltzed into Memorial Stadium and snapped the home squad’s 22-game win streak. Ohio State opened up a 19-7 lead in the fourth quarter and did just enough to hold on, staving off a late Indiana push to win 19-15. Here are the Hoosiers’ grades in all phases of the game.

Grades for Indiana football after its loss to Ohio State

Offense: B-

The first half was a mess for Indiana on offense. Sure, it scored seven points (and should have put up 10). But it started with a three-and-out that gave its defense less than a minute off the field. 

Then another drive quickly came to a halt thanks to some Buckeyes pressure, and then a forced throw to Charlie Becker from quarterback Josh Hoover, who then overthrew Nick Marsh to end a drive on the Hoosiers’ next possession. 

The players – namely Hoover – didn’t execute in the first half. (At least they paid off Amare Ferrell’s interception with seven points.) The second half wasn’t much better. 

It all started with two fumbles – no biggie. Then came a fairly productive drive that ended with a missed field goal. It wasn’t until the Hoosiers were down 12 points and they were forced to play with a sense of urgency that it all came together. 

Indiana’s quick seven-play touchdown drive, which it capped off with a two-point conversion, was superb. But that was about it. And then, with a shot to win it at the end, Hoover and Marsh failed to connect on what should have been a walk-in touchdown. The only reason the Hoosiers offense even finishes above a C: Charlie Becker. 

Defense: A-

The Hoosiers can only demand so much of their defense. Sure, it might be the best in college football, but it also just lined up against perhaps the best offense in the country. And it held Ohio State to 19 points. Strictly from the defense’s perspective, that is a win. 

Yet, even with Smith’s 38-yard touchdown reception, he only racked up four catches for 68 yards and that one score. That is an excellent job from the Indiana defense. And, sure, that opened the door for other pass-catchers. But Julian Sayin went just 15-of-29. 

The Hoosiers snagged two interceptions. They held the Buckeyes to 2.1 yards per rush. Save for those two fourth downs and a pair of head-scratching – and thoroughly uncharacteristic – penalties, Indiana’s defense would have been worthy of an A+. 

Special Teams: D

This one is fairly straightforward: kicker Nico Radicic went 0-for-2 on field goals – including a 32-yarder. Punter Billy Gowers didn’t turn in a gem of a performance, either. He had multiple prime opportunities to pin Ohio State inside the 20-yard line. He did it zero times (four punts). To even give the special teams unit a passing grade may be generous. 

Coaching: C

Curt Cignetti gets all the credit in the world for his team’s discipline. The Hoosiers don’t commit penalties, they don’t turn over the ball. Indiana doesn’t beat itself. And that’s because of Cignetti, right? Well, the Hoosiers shot themselves in the foot time and again on Saturday. 

Costly – and entirely avoidable – penalties. Fumbling the ball. A couple should-have-been interceptions thrown by Hoover. It really could have been worse. Yes, those were mistakes made by the players. They weren’t schematic issues. But Cignetti gets the praise, so he also shoulders the blame. 

From a schematic standpoint, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines did a pretty great job. There are very few bones to pick there. Offensively, Mike Shanahan could have called a better game, but it’s easy to say that in hindsight. 

Did Indiana, which had zero success on the ground, run the ball too much? Maybe. But the Hoosiers have also made a living off running on early downs (and late ones, too). And let’s not forget: that living hasn’t been modest. It includes a national championship. 

And it’s not as though Indiana’s pass-catchers had any trouble finding space. Hoover, who had all the time in the world, often had his choice. It was his inability to execute that led to the offensive struggles.